Every now and then, it pays to get out of your house and your professional mindset and attend an event as a fan.
That’s what I did for the Marshall Crenshaw show at the Birchmere.
Middle-age power pop was the fare of the evening and it was awesome.
While we have all aged, Marshall Crenshaw’s songs are still catchy and his voice is still strong. The Bottle Rockets are a great backing band, being one of the original alt-country bands, along with Jeff Tweedy’s original band, Uncle Tupelo.
The bigger thing about the whole event wasn’t so much the fact that I went to see Marshall Crenshaw or I went to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the first thing was the fact that I left the house to go see live music. Which is more and more a novelty for too many people.
As my friend, Tom, said to me about halfway through the show, “beer tastes better with live music.”
And, that is the point of what live entertainment is all about. It elevates our lives, Bob Lefsetz likes to write about the fact that art has the ability to change us and to alter history. I’d like to think that live entertainment has the ability to build stronger communities.
Why?
Because when you combine art and people with performance, you create magic.
In too many cases, we find that we often forget the magic.
I was reading an article this morning about the troubles of the Raiders in finding a home now and how “corporate” the NFL has become and how their owners are just worried about minting money.
Great for them.
But last time I looked, while they were minting money, their attendance was falling, their ratings dropping, and people’s attention was waning, if even just a small bit.
This is all dangerous.
Because it reminds me of the parable or the story about the rich man that went broke.
“How did you lose your money?”
“Slowly at first, then all at once.”
That’s how I feel about the NFL.
All of these issues that they are dealing with aren’t deadly right now, but as they keep piling up, a tipping point is reached and…well, what’s lost isn’t easily regained.
Back to the Birchmere though…
What a place?
I mean its an old music venue that reminds me a lot of a comedy club. Nothing fancy. Good sound, good vibe.
But it took me back to some of the times when I had no idea I would have any impact on the entertainment industry at all and was just hopeful that I would see a great show, have a drink, and have some fun with my friends, new or old.
Unpretentious is the term I would use to describe the venue.
I mean, you park in a regular old parking lot.
The place looks like a barn.
It reminded me of the place in Sayerville, NJ where I first saw Wilco.
Like this barn stuck in the middle of nowhere where magic might happen.
The place was packed, if not sold out, pretty close.
The crowd, mellow, but into the show.
The amazing thing about it was that the tickets weren’t expensive, maybe $30. But everyone was spending lots of money on food, beverage, and merchandise. I would actually go out on a limb and say that my friends and I were on the low side of the check average, but we still likely doubled our spend on F&B and merchandise.
With no qualms.
Really, if MC had had more merchandise we would have likely spent more.
The point is that if we want people to come out to our games and our venues, we need to offer them something that feels communal.
That doesn’t feel like you are getting gouged and taken advantage of at every turn…and one that at least gives you the opportunity to feel a little of that connection to the anticipation of a game, show, or event that you felt the first time you ever went to a show.
Even for people that hate nostalgia, it is still nostalgia that gets us to plop down the money for a concert.
The game on the court might be important for today’s standing, but something turned you onto that sport to begin with.
Or, maybe this game or event is going to be the first time you do something with someone you love and care about.
I think the big thing I remembered on my night out as a fan was that the most powerful thing about live entertainment is that combination of experience, art, and community.
When you capture that, you have magic.
Magic is where the future of live events is at.
How can we do more of that?